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Nationwide labor protests and strikes against a polarizing new employment law in Indonesia continued across the country for the third day in a row on Thursday.
The job creation “omnibus” bill, signed into law on Monday, has seen thousands of people in Southeast Asia’s largest economy take to the streets in protest against legislation that they say undermines labor rights and weakens protections. environmental.
In the past two days, about 600 people have been arrested and two students seriously injured, while police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters.
On Thursday morning, crowds gathered in major cities on Java’s most populous island, including Jakarta and Bandung, according to local media and video images shared by Kahar S Cahyono, a spokesman for the Confederation of the Union of Indonesian Workers (KSPI).
“We call for the law to be repealed immediately,” said Maulana Syarif, 45, who has worked at Astra Honda Motors for 25 years, and joined the protests in Jakarta to fight for the rights of future generations.
“This is our fight for our children and grandchildren and our future generations … If so (with the new law) our well-being will decrease and we will lack certainty in our jobs.”
Along with 32 other unions, Said Iqbal, president of KSPI, said his strike will continue for the third and final day on Thursday.
The government of President Joko Widodo has championed the flagship legislation as key to boosting Indonesia’s ailing economy by streamlining regulations, cutting red tape and attracting more foreign direct investment.
Received with cautious optimism by some financial analysts, the bill has sparked significant outcry, with unions, students and academics criticizing it for a perceived lack of consultation, expedited approval and problematic clauses that they say will harm workers and to the environment.
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